Saudi Arabian GP - Free Practice

---

STC Saudi Arabian GP - Free Practice

Free Practice 1

May 7, 2024

Verstappen set the fastest time in the initial practice session in Saudi Arabia, with Alonso coming in second place.

Max Verstappen from Red Bull set the fastest lap time during the initial practice session of the Saudi Arabian Formula One Grand Prix, while Fernando Alonso from Aston Martin secured the second position on the timesheets.

The floodlit second round of the 24-race season is taking place at Jeddah's Corniche circuit on Saturday night, a day earlier than the usual schedule, to align with the beginning of Ramadan on Sunday.

Verstappen, a three-time world champion, clocked the quickest lap at one minute 29.659 seconds, just 0.186 faster than Alonso from Spain. His teammate, Sergio Perez, who won last year's race, finished third, trailing by 0.023 seconds.

The lap time was set under atypical afternoon conditions as the race is planned to be held at night. It was slightly slower compared to last year's fastest lap in the first practice session, which was 1:29.617 also achieved by Verstappen.

George Russell posted the fourth fastest time for Mercedes, outpacing Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz. The latter took over his duties after feeling unwell on Wednesday.

"The track, it's like Mario Kart. There are plastic bags everywhere," reported Leclerc over the team radio.

Lando Norris of McLaren finished in seventh place, followed by Lewis Hamilton, the seven-time world champion from Mercedes, in eighth, and Lance Stroll of Aston Martin in ninth, despite hitting the barriers. Alex Albon of Williams secured the tenth spot.

Free Practice 2

May 7, 2024

Alonso from Aston Martin leads in practice for the Saudi GP

In Thursday's floodlit second practice for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso set the fastest time after Red Bull's reigning champion Max Verstappen led the way in FP1.

George Russell placed second in the Mercedes team's time rankings, trailing Alonso's time of one minute 28.827 by 0.230 seconds. Verstappen came in third, 0.331 seconds behind Alonso's leading time.

There was a brief delay in the second session because of loose drain covers, a recurring issue that affected testing in Bahrain last month and in Las Vegas last November. Fortunately, the problem was quickly fixed this time.

In the first session, Alonso had been in second place, with a time of 0.186 seconds slower than triple world champion Verstappen's 1:29.659.

The second race of the record 24-race season is taking place at Jeddah's Corniche circuit on Saturday night, a day earlier than usual, to align with the beginning of Ramadan on Sunday night. Alonso's lap time in the second practice session was 1:29.603, which was faster than last year's fastest lap set by Verstappen on soft tires.

In practice two, Charles Leclerc of Ferrari secured the fourth fastest time, with George Russell of Mercedes previously holding that position in the afternoon.

Despite feeling unwell on Wednesday, Leclerc's teammate Carlos Sainz participated in both sessions but reduced his media obligations. Sainz finished sixth and seventh in the respective sessions.

"The track, it's like Mario Kart. There are plastic bags everywhere," Leclerc reported over the team radio in the afternoon.

Sergio Perez from Red Bull, who won in Jeddah last year, achieved the third and fifth fastest

times.

In the evening session, Lance Stroll from Aston Martin finished sixth, Lewis Hamilton, the seven-time world champion for Mercedes, came in eighth, Pierre Gasly from Alpine was ninth, and Oscar Piastri from McLaren secured the tenth position.

Following the second session, Hamilton was called to the stewards for allegedly obstructing Logan Sargeant from Williams.

"I didn't realise someone was on a lap. I was trying to get out of the way for Sainz and all of a sudden there was a Williams there,"The British person spoke on the radio.

Free Practice 3

May 8, 2024

In a thrilling final practice session for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, the anticipation was high as the drivers pushed their limits on the challenging Jeddah street circuit. The session was not without its drama, as a red flag interruption added an element of unpredictability to the proceedings. Despite the setback, Max Verstappen showcased his exceptional skill and determination by setting the fastest lap time for Red Bull, reaffirming his status as a formidable contender for the upcoming race.

Meanwhile, all eyes were on the promising newcomer Oliver Bearman, who made a remarkable debut for Ferrari. At 18 years old, Britain's Bearman became the youngest rookie ever for the Italian team when he was brought in to substitute for Carlos Sainz, who had to undergo surgery due to appendicitis.

The session was interrupted for 10 minutes following a severe crash by Sauber's Guanyu Zhou at turn five, with the track reopening just in time for a flying lap.

After winning the Bahrain opener last Saturday, Verstappen set the fastest time of 1:28.412, with Charles Leclerc from Ferrari coming in 0.196 seconds behind, and Sergio Perez from Red Bull finishing third on the timesheets.

George Russell took the fourth spot for Mercedes, followed by Lando Norris from McLaren in fifth and Fernando Alonso in sixth for Aston Martin.

At 42 years old, Alonso, a Spaniard, made his Formula One debut in 2001 and was on the podium as a second-place finisher on the day Bearman was born.

Lance Stroll finished seventh for Aston, Oscar Piastri from McLaren was eighth, and Lewis Hamilton, the seven-time world champion, secured the ninth position for Mercedes.

Britain's Bearman, the youngest rookie at 18 years old for Ferrari, completed 22 laps with a best time of 1:29.306, 0.698 seconds slower than Leclerc's time.

The race is scheduled for Saturday to accommodate Ramadan, which begins on Sunday.

---